Ambulance breaks down transporting wounded carjacking suspect

WASHINGTON – An ambulance carrying a carjacking suspect, who was shot by D.C. police, broke down on the way to the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect, 34-year-old Nathaniel McRae of Northwest D.C., was pronounced dead at the hospital after he was moved to a second ambulance.

The man was shot by police, who had been pursuing him, when he got out of the stolen vehicle along Barnaby Street SE. An officer was injured during the incident.

Police have not released the name of the officer.

McRae was transported by D.C. Fire and EMS from the 800 block of Barnaby Street SE after the 2:20 p.m. officer-involved shooting. While driving to the hospital, the ambulance’s engine light came on, indicating the vehicle had to be shut down, said Fire and EMS spokesman Tim Wilson.

The ambulance broke down on D.C. 295, Wilson said.

“Within minutes another unit was available to take the patient to an area hospital,” Wilson said.

McRae was moved to another ambulance and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Wilson did not know how long it took for the second ambulance to arrive or the total time it took to transport the patient.

It was unclear Wednesday evening whether the delay contributed to the man’s death. Police had said the man was suffering from life-threatening injuries when he left Barnaby Street.

Police were pursuing the stolen car when the man got out of the car on Barnaby Street.

Earlier in the day, there were conflicting reports about whether the suspect fired a weapon at officers, but a news release from Metropolitan Police Department Wednesday night explained that he had.

Officers began pursuing the suspect after responding to a carjacking. According to the news release, McRae stopped the vehicle at the 900 block of Barnaby Street SE and fired at the officers.

When another officer arrived, McRae fired shots at him as well.

When the suspect turned to fire more shots at the first officers, they fired their weapons and hit McRae.

An officer was injured in the incident but Commander Robin Hoey says he does not think the injured officer was hit by a bullet, but the cause remained unclear late Wednesday.

The officer was conscious and breathing when he was taken to the hospital.

This was the second of three officer-involved shootings in the region Wednesday.

Around 1 p.m., an off-duty officer was shot at in the 200 block of 33rd Street NE near Benning Road. Police believe he may have been trying to intervene in a robbery.

And about 3 p.m., a Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputy was wounded while responding to a disorderly conduct call at a Costco in Sterling. Another deputy shot and killed a woman who was a food sample server.